US Layoffs — October 2008

The US labor market showed signs of rising strain as employers reported 218 WARN Act notices in October 2008, displacing an estimated 35,144 workers — signaling an acceleration from September and up 72% versus October 2007. Filings came from 22 states and territories, with an average of 161 workers per notice.

Top States by Workers Affected

Michigan led the nation with 6,014 workers affected across 21 notices , followed by Ohio (4,277 workers) and Georgia (2,886 workers) .

Industry Breakdown

The Manufacturing sector topped the list of affected industries with 18,592 workers across 98 notices. Notably, Information & Technology reported 3,672 workers.

Layoff Type Analysis

Closures accounted for 30% of all affected workers nationally, with the majority of events being layoffs rather than full closures.

Largest Layoffs

The most significant filing came from GM ­ Grand Rapids Metal Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan, reporting 1,500 affected workers. Chrysler followed with 1,500 workers.

Trend & Outlook

This marks the third consecutive month of rising layoff activity.

The numbers illustrate mounting pressure on the the nation labor market, with activity running above both recent and year-ago benchmarks. The Manufacturing sector warrants close attention heading into the next period.

This report covers all WARN Act filings with notice dates in October 2008. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act requires employers with 100+ employees to provide 60-day advance notice of mass layoffs and plant closings. Data is sourced from official state filings and updated daily by LaborCurrent, which also tracks SEC 8-K filings, bankruptcy proceedings, H-1B visa petitions, and unemployment claims across all six datasets. API access and data exports available.